System of interlocking wall and corner components for construction of buildings

ABSTRACT

A system of interlocking wall and corner components for construction of a building include a plurality of elongate key members and a plurality of elongate side members. The key members are arranged as horizontal pairs of parallel upper and lower key members sandwiching therebetween pairs of parallel side members. The pair of parallel upper and lower key members form therebetween a pair of dove-tail joint female receiver sockets. Opposed facing sides of the pairs of the parallel side members have a corresponding pair of laterally inwardly disposed dove-tail joint male members for mating into dove-tail engagement in the female receiver sockets to form a dove-tail joint. The pairs of key members and the pairs of side members form elongate horizontal beams mountable one on top of another to form a vertical array of wall layers.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/793,847 filed Mar. 8, 2004 which claims priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/453,212 filed Mar. 11, 2003entitled System of Interlocking Wall and Corner Components forConstruction of Buildings.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to dimensionally stable wall and cornercomponents for the construction of buildings which simulate solid logconstruction buildings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Solid log construction buildings are desirable as residences in manycountries; however the expertise is not generally widely available foreither their manufacture or construction. Further, relatively largediameter logs suitable for log home construction generally are costly.In addition, conventional log building construction contains intrinsicdifficulties which are material dependent and which require specificsolutions. The well-known problems associated with the log mass arehandling and transportation. Settling and drying of the logs afterbuilding construction often results in warping and checking therebycreating a reduced aesthetically pleasing and thermally efficientstructure.

In the prior art applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,765 whichissued May 21, 2002 to Hautala for a Corner Joint. Inner and outer wallelements are kept in a parallel aspect by internal spacers and cornerelements are alternatively fitted between intersecting wall elements ina ninety degree overlapping orientation. The corner elements have ahead, which is positioned outside and parallel to one pair of wallelements and a tongue which project between the wall elements. Thetongue has notches formed thereon to accept and securely retain wallelements from the intersecting wall.

The applicant is further aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,357 which issuedNov. 26, 1996 to Civelli for a Half Log Siding Mounting System whichillustrates facia siding pieces for application to the exterior of aflat building wall. These siding pieces have upper and lower notcheswhich engage an elongated retaining piece with complimentary shapededges. The retaining piece is firmly secured to the exterior side of thebuilding thereby providing the illusion of a log structure.

Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,648 which issued Mar. 12,1985 to Mahaffey for a Lightweight Composite Building Module whichdiscloses modules for a wall of a building including for each module apair of spaced elongated wooden side boards joined by a wooden topboard. In one embodiment the wooden top boards fit into notched cornersformed in the side boards, and in an alternative embodiment the sidewalls and top wall have a dove-tail connection therebetween. The modulesare secured together with bolts and the cavity within the modules may befilled with foam. Mahaffey teaches that when constructing the modules,jigs are used for holding the side boards and top and bottom boards inplace while the foam is inserted into the cavity.

In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide dimensioned wall and corner components fora building, which upon assembly simulate a log building withoutlimitations such as imposed by the overall length of the log.

It is also an object of the present invention to efficiently utilize asmuch of a log as practical in the manufacture of components and tocreate larger appearing timber components from small logs.

A further object of the invention is to manufacture building componentsthat will suit the availability of raw logs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a self-supporting wall, which comprises aplurality of elongate, horizontally disposed side wall members which areinterlocked with and supported by an elongate key member. Additionalcorner members are designed to finish off between the lapped horizontalside wall and key members to create an aesthetically pleasing corner. Itis understood herein that reference to orthogonally oriented corneralignment is meant to include orientations other than ninety degrees, asthe construction according to the present invention is not so limited.Both the side wall members and the elongate key may be manufactured instandard lengths and cut on site with simple hand tools to accommodatedoorways and window openings.

In one embodiment not intended to be limiting the elongate key memberforms a “dumb-bell”-like shape in lateral cross section resulting inupper and lower paired sloping faces which slope inwardly toward thecenter of the elongate key member, and opposed upper and lower verticalfaces.

Elongate side wall members are interleaved in layers between the keymembers to form a wall of hollow beams, where the side members are stoodon edge and mounted to inner and outer edges of each key member. Thesloping notches of the key members mate with complimentary andcorresponding notches formed intermediate of the inner and outer face ofthe side wall members. The weight of a sidewall member when installedupon the edge of a key member results in the side wall member slidingtoward the wall centreline, thus inhibiting separation of the wallmembers. The vertical faces of the key member maintain a parallelseparation of the side wall members to create a void or cavitytherebetween.

In summary, the present invention may be characterized as a system ofinterlocking wall and corner components for construction of a building.The system includes a plurality of elongate key members and a pluralityof elongate side members, wherein a horizontal pair of parallel upperand lower key members lying in a corresponding pair of vertically spacedparallel horizontal planes sandwich therebetween a pair of parallel sidemembers. The pair of parallel side members lie in a corresponding pairof parallel, laterally spaced apart, vertical planes.

Each key member is symmetric about its corresponding horizontal plane,with the exception of laterally extending channels or notches formednear the ends of key members used to form overlapping cornerembodiments, as better described below. Each symmetric face of each keymember, that is, each face of the oppositely disposed upper and lowerfaces of each key member, when assembled in opposed facing relation toan opposed facing symmetric face of the other key member in the pair ofparallel upper and lower key members, form therebetween a pair of jointfemale receiver sockets for mating thereinto of a corresponding pair oflaterally inwardly disposed joint male members on the opposed facingsides of the pair of parallel side members. When so mated the pair ofkey members and the pair of side members form an elongate beam. Thefemale receiver sockets and the male members may form interlockingjoints, for example tongue and groove joints, herein collectivelyreferred to as interlocking joints.

An array of horizontal beams form a wall, wherein each pair of adjacentbeams share a common key member therebetween. The interlocking jointsformed between pairs of adjacent key members urge the correspondingmated pair of side members laterally inwardly of the beam so as tosnugly seat the male members into the female receiver sockets of theinterlocking joints. Advantageously, the key members are substantiallydumb-bell shaped in lateral cross section.

Each side member in the pairs of parallel side members has a thicknesswhen viewed in lateral cross section therethrough. Each key member has afirst width when viewed in the lateral cross section. The sum ofsubstantially one half of the thickness of both of the side members inthe pairs of parallel side members is substantially equal to at leastone half of the first width. Thus a cavity formed between the pairs oflaterally inwardly disposed joint male members and correspondinglybetween the pairs of key members has a second width when viewed in thelateral cross section which is no greater than substantially equal to oris less than the one half of the first width.

The sum of the first width and the sum of substantially one half of thethickness of both of the side members provides a total width of each ofthe horizontal beams which is substantially equal to a total height ofthe each of the horizontal beams. Thus the lateral cross section may besubstantially dimensionally square.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is, in end view, side wall members according to an embodimenthaving planar exterior faces.

FIG. 1 a is, in end view side wall members having convex exterior faces.

FIG. 1 b is, in end view, one embodiment according to the presentinvention of an elongate key.

FIG. 1 c is, in end view, an alternative embodiment of elongate key.

FIG. 1 d is an alternative positioning within a log of the formation ofthe side wall members of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 e and 1 f are end views of embodiments of side wall assembliesaccording to one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric end view of one form of side wall assemblyaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 a is an isometric end view of an alternative form of side wallassembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 b is the side wall assembly of FIG. 2 a using side wall membershaving a convex exterior face.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the side wall assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 a is an end view of the side wall assembly of FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 3 b is an end view of the side wall assembly of FIG. 2 b.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one form of corner assembly according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 a is an exploded isometric view of the corner assemblyillustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 b is an isometric view, partially exploded of the corner assemblyof FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an alternative form of corner assembly.

FIG. 5 a is an exploded isometric view of the corner assemblyillustrated in FIG. 5, exploded along vertical alignment axis C-C.

FIG. 5 b is an isometric view of a pair of abutting side members of FIG.5.

FIG. 5 c is a side view of the corner element of FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 d is the exploded view of FIG. 5 a showing alignment of the sidewall elements during assembly.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an alternative form of corner assembly.

FIG. 6 a is an exploded isometric view of several of the components ofFIG. 6.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternative form of corner assembly.

FIG. 7 a is an exploded isometric view of the components of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 a is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 b is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 c is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 d is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 e is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 f is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 g is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 h is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 i is an end view of further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 8 e with dimension lines added.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawing figures, wherein similar characters ofreference denote corresponding parts in each view, the interlocking walland corner construction 10, for example as illustrated in FIG. 4 b,includes side wall members 12, elongate key members 14 and cornerfinishing members 18.

As may be readily understood by reference to FIGS. 1, 1 a-1 d, a log 20,illustrated in broken outline, has a generally circular cross sectionwhich reduces in cross sectional area from its butt to its tip. Sidewall members 12 are formed, for example cut or milled, from the outerside portions of the log. This avoids inclusion of heart wood from thelog, thereby reducing checking or splitting of side wall members 12during drying. Members 12 may be manufactured with the exterior face 12a being either planar as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1 d, or convex asillustrated in FIG. 1 a. Members 12 have opposite inside faces 12 b andedges 12 c. Planar exterior face 12 a has chamfers 12 d on oppositevertically spaced apart edges 12 c. Side wall members 12 may bemanufactured in convenient lengths and may be trimmed and abuttedend-to-end during wall manufacture. The vertically spaced apart edges ofinside edges 12 b include notches 22. Notches 22 each include a firstface 22 a and a second sloping face 22 b. For assembly of a wall, firstface 22 a is generally vertically disposed.

Key members 14 may be manufactured from smaller diameter logs, or from aportion near the reduced cross sectional area tip of larger logs, so asto better utilize the available timber. Members 14 have a ‘bowtie’-shape in lateral cross section. The ‘bow tie’-shape includesparallel outer faces 14 a and a medial body having oppositely disposedridges 14 b extending between the outer faces. Paired sloping faces 26and 28, formed on either side of medial body ridges 14 b, slopegenerally from the extremities of outer faces 14 a toward the verticalcenterplane A of key 14. Sloping faces 26 and 28 terminate at verticalside faces 30 on either side of ridges 14 b. Vertical faces 30 definethe width of ridges 14 b. Key members 14 are symmetric, with theexceptions noted below, on either side of vertical plane A andhorizontal plane B.

As may be seen illustrated in FIGS. 3, 3 a and 3 b, side wall members 12are stacked vertically upon horizontal key members 14 with notches 22snugly and matingly engaging sloping faces 26 and 28 of key members 14.The natural tendency of stacked side wall members 12, due to their massand the force of gravity, when positioned with notches 22 mated onsloping faces 26 and 28, is to slide inwardly of key members 14 untilinside faces 12 b or edges 12 c abut vertical faces 30 or outer faces 14a respectively. Cavity 34 is thereby created between faces 12 b, betweenwhich insulation or services may be conveniently placed. The interiorand exterior faces of the wall constructed of members 12 may be flat orconvex when viewed in end-on cross section, or, as seen in FIG. 1 e, acombination of flat and convex, where the flat face may be to theinterior of the building.

In FIG. 4, 4 a and 4 b, a corner post 40 is mounted to side members 12by means of dovetail joints. Post 40 has projecting tails 42 formed onadjacent sides. Side members 12 are vertically chamfered so that thechamfers when in opposed facing relation cooperatively form a socket 44.Tails 42 fit snugly into sockets 44. Key members 14 are trimmed so as toabut projecting tails 42 when the key members are mounted onto the sidemembers. The mating inside corners of the inside side members arefurther chamfered as at 46 allowing a close tolerance inside cover fit.

As depicted in FIGS. 5, 5 a, 5 b, 5 c and 5 d, key members 50 have anotch 50 a formed in one face, leaving a short end projection 50 bextending therefrom. An orthogonally aligned pair of key members 50 areinterlocked by mating opposed facing notches 50 a. A key member layer isthereby formed for the corner. Side members 12 are mounted onto, so asto be sandwiched between layers of orthogonally aligned pairs of keymembers 50, so that notches 50 a are aligned along axis C. Separate endpieces 52 each have an end block 52 a and an offset tongue 52 b, offsetfrom the vertical center of the end block as better seen in FIG. 5 c.Tongue 52 b is insertable respectively under and over cross-interlockednotches 50 a of orthogonally mated upper and lower pairs of key members50 so as to extend in direction D into voids 34 between the side membersuntil shoulder flanges 52 c engage the ends of side members 12. Tongue52 a is offset into proximity to one face of end block 52 a so that apair of end pieces 52 may be mounted with the shoulder flange 52 c ofone orthogonally overlapping the shoulder flange 52 c of the other, thusallowing the assembly of the snug mounted corner 53 of FIGS. 5 and 5 b.End piece 52 and key members 50 may be mounted together with nails,dowels, adhesives and/or any other suitable fastening means to formcorner 53.

FIG. 1 f illustrates variations of the present invention in which thelocking joint between wall members 12′ and horizontal key 14′ may beminimally affected by lumber shrinkage as the members dry afterassembly.

FIGS. 6 and 6 a illustrate key members 60 each having a pair ofoppositely disposed laterally projecting ribs 60 a located medially ofthe sides. Ribs 60 a are interrupted, as at 60 b, near the end 62 ofeach key member 60. As side wall members 12 are mounted in overlappingsuccession on successive key members 60 so as to build up corner 63,members 12 orthogonally abut key members 60 within area 60 b. Endportion 62 of key 60 extends outwardly of the overlapping joint ofcorner 63. End blocks 64 are mated with ends 62 of key members 60 andmounted thereto with nails, dowels, adhesives or other suitable means.

In FIGS. 7 and 7 a a variant corner assembly is illustrated for corner73. In the corner assembly of corner 73 the overlapping key members 14are tied together by vertical end boards 15, which may be nailed,dowelled or otherwise secured or fastened in place.

In a further embodiment, the timber elements, as shown in FIGS. 8 a-8 iallow for distinctively different wall profiles employingtongue-and-groove or other substantially dove-tail joints. Chinking 75may be incorporated on the inside and outside or one side only by simplytrimming one edge of a full key member 14. Wall element dimensions canbe made any size but may be approximately three inches by seven inchesto four and a half inches by nine inches. This combined with a full keymember 14 and two inch insulation/service space can create a wall widthof up to eleven inches and an effective stacking height of up to twelveinches per course of timbers. By using different key width theinsulation/services space can be increased or eliminated altogether. Atimber/log siding or panelling can be installed on framed walls withoutvisible fasteners, creating a more realistic look. Several wood speciesinterior/exterior combinations are possible. The average insulation Rvalue for a wall with six inches of wood and two inches of polystyreneinsulation 77 is about the same as that of a six inch framed wall withfibreglass insulation. The advantage of three inches or more wood on theinterior of the insulation is that it provides a heat sink asexperienced in log homes during spring and fall weather conditions.

The present invention offers stability over the prior art due in part tothe relative dimension of the components so that the components areinterlocking and stable without the need for further fastening by meansof bolts, jigs or the like. Thus in one embodiment which in applicant'sexperience provides improved stability when building a structure fromsuch sidewall members 12 and key members 14, and as seen in FIG. 9, themodular structures according to the present invention have certaincharacteristic dimensions which when combined as described and claimedherein provide for improved stability over prior art structures. Inparticular, in one embodiment, the height dimensions h and widthdimensions w in FIG. 9 may be as follows: height (inches) width (inches)h₁ = 7.56 w₁ = 5.0 h₂ = 7.31 w₂ = 2.75 h₃ = 0.87 w₃ = 1.38 h₄ = 1.5 w₄ =2.88 h₅ = 0.625 w₅ = 1.44 w₆ = 2.01

Thus in one aspect the stability of the structure comes from therelative width dimensions where for a certain width w₁ of key member 14,and where width w₃ is substantially one half the width of width w₂, andwhere the width w₅ is substantially one half the width of width w₄ thesum of widths w₃ and w₅ are no less than one half of width w₁. Thus whatthis amounts to is that each of the side members 12 protrude into thespace or cavity 34 between key members 14 by at least one quarter of thewidth w₁ of each of the key members 14 so that the remaining cavity 34defined between side members 12 and key members 14 has a width w₆ is nogreater than one half of width w₁ of key members 14. In a furtheraspect, the total height dimension for the beam cross section roughlyequals the total width of the beam, where the total height issubstantially the sum of one half the thickness of each of the pair ofkey members 14 summed with the height h₁ of the side members 12. Thusthe total height H may be expressed as H=h₁=2×h₅. The beam in crosssection is thus approximately dimensionally square.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of theforegoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible inthe practice of this invention without departing from the spirit orscope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to beconstrued in accordance with the substance defined by the followingclaims.

1. A system of interlocking wall and corner components for constructionof a building comprising: a plurality of elongate key members and aplurality of elongate side members, wherein said key members arearranged as horizontal pairs of parallel upper and lower key memberslying symmetrically in a corresponding pair of vertically spacedparallel horizontal planes, said pairs of parallel upper and lower keymembers sandwiching therebetween pairs of parallel side members, andwherein said pairs of parallel side members lie in a corresponding pairof parallel, laterally spaced apart, vertical planes, and wherein eachsaid key member having symmetric faces, being each face of oppositelydisposed upper and lower faces of each said key member, when assembledin opposed facing relation to an opposed facing said symmetric face of asecond key member in said pair of parallel upper and lower key members,form therebetween a pair of joint female receiver sockets, opposedfacing sides of said pairs of said parallel side members having acorresponding pair of laterally inwardly disposed joint male members formating into engagement in said female receiver sockets to form a joint,wherein, when so mated, said pairs of key members and said pairs of sidemembers form elongate horizontal beams mountable one on top of anotherto form a vertical array of wall layers comprising a wall, and whereineach said side member in said pairs of said parallel side members has athickness when viewed in lateral cross section therethrough and whereineach said key member has a first width when viewed in said lateral crosssection, and wherein the sum of substantially one half of said thicknessof both of said side members in said pairs of said parallel side membersis substantially equal to at least one half of said first width so thata cavity formed between said pairs of laterally inwardly disposed jointmale members and correspondingly between said pairs of key members has asecond width when viewed in said lateral cross section which issubstantially equal to or less than said one half of said first width.2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sum of said first width and saidsum of substantially one half of said thickness of both of said sidemembers provides a total width of each of said horizontal beams andwherein said total width is substantially equal to a total height ofsaid each of said horizontal beams whereby said lateral cross section issubstantially dimensionally square.
 3. The system of claim 2 whereineach said key member is, along a length thereof, substantially symmetricabout its corresponding said horizontal plane.
 4. The system of claim 2further comprising laterally extending channels formed adjacent ends ofsaid key members, said notches for forming overlapping corners betweenadjacent said beams in a single said wall layer.
 5. The system of claim3 wherein in said vertical array of said horizontal beams, verticallyadjacent said beams in vertically adjacent said wall layers share acommon said key member therebetween.
 6. The system of claim 2 whereinsaid pairs of joint female receiver sockets include sloping faces oneach said key member sloping inwardly from opposite sides of said keymembers and downwardly towards said corresponding horizontal plane sothat said joints urge the corresponding mated said joint male memberslaterally inwardly of said horizontal beams so as to snugly seat saidjoint male members into said female receiver sockets.
 7. The system ofclaim 4 further comprising separate end pieces, said end pieces forsandwiching between said ends of said key members when mounted in saidvertical array.
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein each end piece of saidend pieces has a tongue extending cantilevered from an end thereof, saidtongue for mating insertion into said cavity between said pair of keymembers and said pair of side members.
 9. The system of claim 2 whereinends of said key members include notches so that adjacent said keymembers in a single said wall layer form a corner when overlapped attheir ends so as to overlap said notches.
 10. The system of claim 9further comprising vertical end boards mountable to ends of said keymembers for tying said key members together.
 11. The system of claim 2wherein ends of said side members include vertically extending notchesso that said pair of parallel side members form vertical joint femalereceiving sockets at the ends of said pair of parallel side members. 12.The system of claim 11 further comprising at least one post having atleast two vertically extending joint male members mountable into saidvertical joint female receiving sockets so as to brace between adjacentsaid beams in a single said wall layer.
 13. The system of claim 12wherein said post is a corner post and said at least two verticallyextending joint male members include two orthogonally oriented malemembers.
 14. The system of claim 2 wherein said key members aresubstantially dumb-bell-shaped in lateral cross section.